Daring escape by stolen girl

Marsha Ginsburg, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, August 13, 2000

VALLEJO - Two days after vanishing while walking home from school in Vallejo, 8-year-old Midsi Sanchez jumped out of her abductor's car Saturday in a miraculous, gutsy getaway 68 miles away in Santa Clara.

She was safe and finally back home Saturday night, described by authorities as in good condition after an examination at Sutter Solano Hospital in Vallejo.

After being restrained and forced to live in a beat-up car during her captivity, 80-pound Midsi managed to free herself about 11 a.m. in an industrial area of Santa Clara, run from the car and flag down a delivery truck driver even as her 200-pound abductor chased after her.

She screamed that she had been kidnapped. "My name is Midsi Sanchez," she told the truck driver. At that point, her kidnapper fled, and Santa Clara police were alerted.

"She's a hero. She outsmarted him. She got away," said Midsi's mom, Susana Velasco, understandably elated Saturday afternoon after learning of her daughter's escape. Velasco then welcomed her daughter home with a joyous belated birthday party at the family's Vallejo home.

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At the Santa Clara police station immediately after her escape, Midsi was described as shaken but unhurt. She spoke to her mom by phone and said, "I missed you." Velasco said she told Midsi how much she loved her and how the entire town had been looking for her.

Later, after her daughter had returned home, Velasco told reporters gathered at their home that she was in shock when she saw her daughter. "I don't know if I was crying or laughing or both . . . The other day, I said it was the worst day of my life - this is the best day of my life."

Suspect arrested

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The girl's suspected kidnapper was arrested by San Jose police Saturday night after a San Jose trailer park he was known to frequent was put under surveillance. He was arrested without incident while he was walking toward his car outside the trailer park.

Based on a description of the abductor by the truck driver and other witnesses, authorities identified the suspect as Curtis Dean Anderson, 39, who formerly had San Jose and Vallejo addresses and had a prior record for kidnapping and weapons violations but had no convictions as a sexual offender, said Vallejo police Lt. JoAnn West.

Police believe the 6-foot, 200-pound Anderson drove Midsi to an industrial area of Santa Clara and parked the car near a business where he had worked. He reportedly went into the business near Laurel Wood Road and Edward Ave

ue and that was when Midsi made her break for freedom.

Police said he and Midsi likely spent Friday night in the car near the business, but are not sure where they spent Thursday night.

West would not comment on whether Midsi had been assaulted, but said she was doing well under the circumstances. "She's a very spirited little girl," West said.

Her ebullient relatives, who had hardly slept since Midsi was abducted Thursday, just two days after her year-round school started its current session, ripped down the sign from the living room window that said "Missing Girl." They hugged, they cried, they shouted her safe return out to passersby in the street.

Drivers rolled down their windows to hear the news, then honked in glee. Her young cousin went up and down the street and wrote on her missing child posters, "FOUND."

"She's home! She's home!" screamed a joyous neighbor who drove by to see how the search was coming. Hugging her own 7-year-old son, who frequently walked to school with Midsi, Sue Vogel planned to head to church to spread the news. "Put the balloons up!" she said.

Family bursting with pride

Midsi's aunt, Araceli Valencia of Pittsburg, credited Midsi's willful personality with coming through for her. "She's always so stubborn and she does what she wants to do. That's Midsi," said Valencia, bursting with pride.

Suffering almost unbearable grief after Midsi vanished from the tree-lined streets near her home two days ago, her mother could not bring herself to pick up the birthday cake Saturday morning - a cake decorated with a likeness of her daughter. But by Saturday afternoon, Velasco was planning the biggest party ever to celebrate her little girl's daring getaway.

Midsi, a popular, outgoing child who was so looking forward to her party for 100 family members, friends and relatives Saturday that she had been practicing singing her favorite songs - from Selena and the Spice Girls - didn't even ask her mom in their phone conversation about the gathering to celebrate her 8th birthday, which was Aug. 3.

At a press conference Saturday, Vallejo police recounted the events leading to Midsi's escape. They said Midsi had almost finished the five-block walk from Highland Elementary School to her home when, a block away from her house, a stranger pulled her into his car. Her mother had always told her to stay away from strangers, and to do anything she could to get away if she were ever abducted.

Apparently, she did.

According to West, about 200

registered sex offenders live in Vallejo. She said 80 of them live within a 2-mile radius from where Midsi was abducted.

West said even the most responsible parents can't always protect their children. "If someone really wants to steal a child, they can do it," she said.

Midsi's father, Juan Carlos Sanchez, pointed out that he and his wife had been more careful about watching their children after the disappearance of 8-year-old Xiana Fairchild, who is believed to have been abducted on Dec. 9, 1999, less than 2 miles from where Midsi was snatched and who has not been found.

In fact it was only at the beginning of this school year on Tuesday that Midsi was allowed to walk home with her 10-year-old brother.

"We never let her go by herself. But this is a really safe neighborhood," he said.

Sanchez described his daughter as "really smart. She knows Vallejo better than I do."

He said he always kept Midsi by his side and that when she ran off to the toy department whenever they went to the local drugstore, he would let her pick out a toy first and then take her with him to buy what he needed.

Midsi was a good student, he added, and had recently read the latest Harry Potter tome, which is more than 700 pages long.

The happy ending was particularly heartwarming for Xiana's aunt, Stephanie Kahalekulu, who was joyous over hearing of Midsi's escape, and hoped the dramatic story would bring attention back to Xiana.

"It makes me wonder what it all means," she said Saturday. "If she's (Xiana) home in heaven, I'd want to know."

It was a roller coaster day for Midsi's family and the entire community.

The day began at the Sanchez home where Midsi's parents and half-brother, David Velasco, 16, half-sister, Monica Velasco, 14, Ismael Jr., 10, and little Carlo, 2, were surrounded by grieving but supportive relatives at the family's stucco house on busy Tennessee Street.

With pictures of family members displayed throughout the house and stories about Midsi shared by everyone, the family prayed throughout the day.

They prayed outside in a circle. They prayed inside surrounding eight large decorative candles placed around a statue of the Virgin Mary. And every time they prayed, they stood up and collapsed in each other's arms.

Even Carlo, at 2, had not eaten much in the last two days and woke up Saturday morning crying. Monica sat by herself in the corner of the couch patiently answering the same questions over and over

again from the media.

Loved to play dress-up

She described her little sister as a bright, friendly girl who loved to play dress-up and sing and dance. She always copied whatever Monica did. A week ago, Monica wanted to curl her hair for a outing with girlfriends. Midsi insisted on doing the same. Monica's hair didn't turn out, but Midsi's came out perfectly, she said.

She could be a rascal, that little sister. Once when a friend of Monica's suggested that she was jealous of her younger sister, Midsi picked up the phrase and suggested the same when her sister was being less than kind. "You had to watch what you said around her,"' said Monica.

But what she loved about Midsi was a special letter her sister wrote her a year ago and placed on her dresser. It apologized for being a "brat all the time." It made Monica cry.

But by Saturday night, after the family knew Midsi was safe, life was finally returning to normal.

Instead of news updates on the TV, the family turned on a soccer game. Midsi's uncle, Gustavo Mejia, was anxious to "tease her again." He added, "To see this family torn apart and then cry out of happiness . . . well, I just can't explain it."

Scarlet Wagner, a waitress at Scotty's restaurant, a 40-year-old eatery two blocks from Midsi's house, said that Vallejo has been plagued by so much crime that "every night it seems like there is a full moon over Vallejo."

"We've had a lot of sad endings in Vallejo," she said. "I'm glad it's a happy ending."

Before Midsi arrived home from the hospital Saturday evening, the atmosphere at the family's home was one of a carnival with 150 family, friends and well-wishers outside the house. Two giant barbecues sat in the driveway long after the sun went down in anticipation of her return.

At 8:42 p.m., everyone applauded as she arrived. She pulled up in a car and then was whisked up the stairs with her arms around her father's neck, looking completely bewildered and stunningly unphased.

Outside, tears welled up in the eyes of people looking on and horns blared in the streets as if the locals had won the Super Bowl. And in a way, they had.

Her mom followed her father up the stairs looking completely exhausted - showing a half smile on her face as she waved to the crowd.

A half hour later, her family cleared the living room and brought her to the window where she waved to the crowd outside who applauded her and sang "Happy Birthday." With rosy cheeks and hair combed straight back,

Midsi beamed a smile and then burst into tears.

Her adoring father who held her at the window kept nuzzling his face against hers.

'Best feeling in the world'

Mary Salazar, a family friend from Vallejo who was in the house when Midsi was brought home, said seeing Midsi "was the best feeling in the whole world. She's a strong little girl and she proved it."

Midsi was wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans and white sneakers.

At about 10:15, the family, who fed the neighbors, police and press steak and tortillas, cut a new cake that was ordered for Midsi. The white cake with a rainbow on it read, "Welcome Home Midsi." They cut pieces for anyone who would take a slice.

Outside of her family, the person Midsi might have been happiest to see was her friend Tanisha Huff, 9.

Midsi appeared to become more animated as the evening wore on. And when she peered out the window looking for a familiar face, Tanisha waved up to her from the driveway below. Midsi beamed and motioned Tanisha to come upstairs.

The two girls apparently sit under their favorite tree and talk about everything from music to boys. After spending about 10 minutes with Midsi, Tanisha left the house. Tanisha said she hugged her friend and told Midsi that she was glad she was back. Midsi in turn said she would call her friend soon.

"She doing fine,' said Tanisha. "She said she might be back at school Monday."

The unusual spelling "Midsi" comes from her sister Monica, who heard the name as a 7-year-old when her sister was born. It was likely spelled M-I-T-Z-I but Monica made up her own spelling, writing Midsi on her bedroom closet - and the name stuck.

Firing up the BBQ

After the little girl was home, it was time for partying, as the barbecue was fired up with steak, chicken and hot dogs.

A colorful bunch of balloons waved in the sky next to two Cinderella pinatas. Inside the home, over a dozen presents waited for the birthday girl, as well as stuffed animals, new shoes and balloons saying things like "You are

special."

It seemed that Midsi's escape gave hope to everyone in the community and around the Bay Area, where a string of girls - Michaela Garecht, Ilene Misheloff, Amber Swarz, Nikki Campbell to name a few - are still missing.

Vallejo, too, has had its share of the tragedies. Young Jeremy Stoner was 7 when he was abducted and

killed in the late 80s. Sean Williams was just a baby when his mother was killed in her home, and the house was set on fire.

Then came Xiana. So it was no wonder that residents were feeling upbeat Saturday and hopeful for a change.

This was the first happy ending to an abduction since Baby Kerri was found safe three months after being abducted from Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley.

One resident who stopped by the home said she picked up her husband at a Greyhound station Saturday and saw the flyer for Midsi. Please God, she asked, make this child come home, she said.

Charlie Fraser was happy that her prayers were answered. "I'm just someone who's happy. She's not a statistic in the hands of one of these perverts. Any other child would be scared. And she got out of the car. I don't know the family, but I love them," she said. &lt;

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